NPSG August 2023 Minutes
Grasby, Searby cum Owmby Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
Meeting Number: 6 Date: 30th August 2023
Location: Village Hall, Grasby Time: 19:00
Attendees:
Chris Mead (Chairman)
Janet Brown (Treasurer) Nick Harrison
Tim Phipps Rob Bennett
Mike Downing
Bethany Lauren
Steve Riley (Secretary)
Apologies:
Julie Turnbull
Agenda:
1. Actions from last meeting
2. Progress since last meeting
3. Community engagement
4. Any other business
5. Actions arising and next meeting
Major Points of Discussion
1. Actions from last meeting
1.4 Chris to circulate current land use map available from the Parish Council. Ongoing.
Action: CM 1.4
4.2 Nick will contact the Facebook group admins to publicise the Neighbourhood Plan. Completed.
Note: A final call for surveys will be made on Facebook groups in September. Chris to draft the message and circulate.
Action: CM 6.1
4.4 To increase survey participation amongst the younger community we could look to run competitions, such as photo or painting. Chris to investigate. Ongoing.
Action: CM 4.4
4.6 The criteria for analysing the survey responses will be developed after the initial responses have been received. Chris has produced a series of draft charts and word clouds from an initial set of 49 survey responses (see Item 3.1). Further work is required to include all the responses received. Ongoing.
Action: CM 4.6
5.1 Chris will speak to Janet to make an ‘expression of interest’ for gaining funding from the government. Ongoing.
Action: CM 5.1
5.2 Steve will distribute the list of all addresses that have already completed a survey. Completed.
Note: An updated list will be issued and reconciled against all electronic and paper surveys to ensure accuracy and completeness. Chris and Steve to undertake.
Action: CM / SR 6.2
5.3 All completed paper and electronic surveys to be passed to Chris. Surveys are still trickling in from residents. On receipt, let Steve know the name and address of the responder (to enable the tracker update) and pass the completed survey to Chris. Ongoing.
Action: All 5.3
5.4 Bethany will speak to Osh Gosh to see if they are willing to help with prizes for the youth competitions. Unfortunately they are unable to help at this time. Completed.
5.5 Chris to speak to Nev Brown to see how best to engage with Caistor to gain some pointers and share experience on the Neighbourhood Planning exercise. Ongoing.
Action: CM 5.5
5.6 Steve to liaise with the Village Hall committee to organise a ‘post-it’ meeting at the hall for the Grasby and Searby cum Owmby communities for later in the year. This was raised at the meeting of 3 August; we just need to set a date. Ongoing.
Action: SR 5.6
2. Progress since last meeting
2.1 It is understood the consultation period with Searby cum Owmby to allow for a joint parish Neighbourhood Plan has completed with no objections raised. As such, the Terms of Reference of the steering group now need to be revised. Janet will update the document and liaise with Tim to seek approval from the Grasby Parish Council and Searby cum Owmby Parish committee.
Action: JB / TP 6.3
3. Community engagement
3.1 From an initial analysis of 49 survey responses some common issues are evident:
• Most responders are from the older section of our community.
• Access to open countryside, walks, footpaths and wildlife are highly valued.
• The lack of affordable housing in the Grasby parish is noted.
• A children’s playground is high on the list of desired amenities.
3.2 Work continues to analyse the survey responses in more detail. These are to be presented to the residents at the ‘post-it’ meeting in the Village Hall later in the year. It was noted that only one landowner has responded to date and the group should endeavour to engage with these people and encourage them to attend the public meeting once organised.
3.3 Some residents have expressed the view that no new development is required in the parishes. Although understandable to some degree, this is an unrealistic position given the government’s targets on housing. We need residents to understand that further development is inevitable and the purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to provide a framework to ensure their concerns / wishes are accounted for during the development application process. This should be made clear at the public meeting.
4. Any other business
None.
5. Actions arising and next meeting
The actions of this meeting were agreed by all those involved.
The next proposed steering group meeting is to be held at 19:00 on Wednesday the 27th September at Village Hall.